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Parmesan Crusted Chicken is a quick and easy meal that is done in under 30 minutes. The chicken is moist, full of flavor, and everyone will rave about it.
This recipe for parmesan crusted chicken needs to be in your regular rotation. It is perfect to make on a busy night or nice enough for Sunday dinner. Simply add a vegetable and serve over rice or pasta and you are in business.
Trust me when I say this recipe easy to make. It is done in just a few short steps. Parmesan crusted chicken is made on the stove which is good for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven. You are going to love how the chicken melts in your mouth.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy and Flavorful: The Parmesan crust gives the chicken a deliciously crispy texture and rich flavor that is sure to be a hit with everyone.
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is straightforward and can be prepared quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
- Great for Meal Prep: Leftover Parmesan crusted chicken can be used in sandwiches, salads, or wraps, making it a versatile option for meal prep.
Ingredients
- Chicken Cutlets: about 1.5 pounds worth
- Salt and Pepper
- Cracker Crumbs
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Eggs
- Light Oil: for frying, one with a neutral flavor such as vegetable, avocado, or canola oil
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Stove Top Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Step #1. Lay the chicken on a cutting board, pat dry, then salt and pepper.
Step #3. Coat the chicken in the Parmesan, then dip it in the beaten egg, then cover it with cracker crumbs. Place it in the hot oil. Repeat until all the chicken is coated and cooking.
Step #2. Arrange 3 shallow containers. Put the cracker crumbs in the first, parmesan in the second, and beaten eggs in the third. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat while prepping the chicken.
Step #4. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is 165°F. Remove from the pan onto a plate. Let it rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
How do I know when my chicken is done?
The best way to be sure that your chicken is thoroughly cooked is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. For chicken breasts the temperature should be at 165F.
When cooking chicken on the stove it will take about 5-7 minutes per side.
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers my favorite way to reheat parmesan chicken is in the air fryer. This will ensure that the breading stays crisp instead of soggy.
The beauty of this chicken is that it goes with so many things. Serve with a simple green salad, side vegetable, rice, pasta, or your favorite loaf of bread.
Expert Tips
- If your chicken is much thicker on one end than the other, pound it with a meat mallet so that it is even. That will help it cook evenly so that the thing part doesn’t overcook while you wait for the thick part to be done.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan. It will melt much better than the pre-grated kind.
- Don’t overcrowd the frying pan. If you have more than will fit with some space in between the chicken pieces, cook it in batches and keep the first batch warm in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest.
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Stove Top Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets, about 1.5 pounds of chicken
- salt and pepper
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups cracker crumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup light oil for frying , (such as vegetable, avocado, or canola oil)
Instructions
- Lay the chicken out on a cutting board and pat the pieces dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken well.
- Add the cracker crumbs to a dish (like a pie plate or a Tupperware, something shallow with an edge).
- Add the Parmesan cheese to a second dish.
- Add the eggs to a third dish and whisk them well with a fork to beat them until well incorporated.
- After you’ve gotten everything in your bowls, put a large nonstick or cast iron skillet on the stove over medium to medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and let it heat while you prepare the chicken.
- First dip the chicken into the Parmesan, patting it to stick and repeat on the second side of the chicken. Next dip the chicken (coated in Parmesan) into the egg mixture on both sides.
- Then finally dip the egg coated chicken into the bread crumbs, pressing the chicken into the crumbs to help them to stick.
- Place the prepared chicken into the hot oil.
- Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Allow the chicken to cook for 5 or so minutes on one side before flipping to the next side. The coating will be a deep golden brown.
- Cook the chicken until the center reaches 165 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer.
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
- If you don’t have chicken cutlets you’ll want to cut a thick chicken breast in half through the thickest part (so making two thinner breasts, not just cutting it in strips). If you aren’t working with chicken that is about 1/2 inch thick it’ll take too long to cook through in the pan and the coating will burn.
- I love using a buttery cracker like Ritz for this recipe. Crackers are an easy thing to find gluten free too if you need to!
- I used my mircoplane to fine shred some fresh Parmesan, if feel like it stuck really well to the chicken and the flavor was excellent.
- This is a fabulous recipe for meal prep – you can use this chicken in so many other ways: sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc. Feel free to double it so you can be sure to have leftovers.
